The Son of a Werewolf
by ninjadevil2000
Summary: 12 year-old Teddy had a Defense Against the Dark Arts lesson. The focus of the lesson is werewolves.


**Disclaimer: Really? I wish.**

**Author's Note: Teddy and Victoire are 12 in this story. I really hope you enjoy it. It broke my heart to write this story. Also, if Teddy and Victoire seem over-emotional to you, just remember, they're only twelve years old and are bound to be very emotional over what happened to their parents. Alright, that's all, I think. Please review and let me know how you like it.**

_xxxxx_

Teddy Lupin sat in his Defense Against the Dark Arts class, chatting with his best friend and fellow Hufflepuff, Victoire Weasley. They had gotten there a few minutes early, so they were now waiting for Professor Carter to arrive.

"Hello, students," came the brisk voice of Professor Carter as he entered the classroom. Everyone immediately fell silent. Professor Carter was a muscular man with cold gray eyes and a wand that looked suspiciously like a dagger. He was frightening sometimes, but generally, he didn't pay much attention to what the students did. He taught what he was hired to teach, then left, but not before always setting them immense amounts of homework. Teddy didn't necessarily like the man, but he didn't dislike him either. He was proud to say that he was actually at the top of the class, though he himself credited that to his parents and godfather.

"Today," began Professor Carter as he reached his desk and leaned against it, "we will be talking about werewolves."

Teddy felt a jolt in his chest. _What! But – but we were supposed to cover the theories of hexes today, not werewolves_! the twelve-year old boy thought. He wanted very much to interrupt and point this fact out to Professor Carter, but he knew better than to interrupt a teacher, let alone one as strict this one.

"Can anyone tell me what time of month werewolves turn?" he asked. _A relatively simple question,_ Teddy thought as he rapped his fingers on his desk. One of the Ravenclaws in the class raised her hand. Professor Carter pointed to her.

"At the full moon, sir," she answered.

"Correct," Professor Carter said. "Five points to Ravenclaw. Now," he continued, beginning to walk around the room, "who can tell me the different types of dangers that werewolves pose?"

Victoire reached over and grabbed Teddy's hand as he turned rigid in his seat, and several students glanced his way.

"Um, pardon me, sir," a small Ravenclaw boy began nervously, "but weren't we suppose to cover hexes today?"

"Mr. Dayton, as I am the teacher, I think it is I who decides the curriculum that you will learn," Professor Carter said with a harshness that Teddy had never heard him use.

"Yes, sir," the Ravenclaw boy mumbled, looking down at his desk.

"Now, back to the question," Professor Carter continued, "what dangers do those monsters pose to humans like us?"

Everyone stiffened and some shot looks Teddy's way again. A Hufflepuff girl shakily raised her hand.

"Yes, Miss Hardy?"

"Um, well," she started slowly, "they – they're dangerous when they're transformed be-because they – they can't control their actions."

Professor Carter looked unsatisfied. Obviously, that had not been the answer he had been hoping for. He began to speak again. "Werewolves are always dangerous. They cannot control what they do and they will kill people for amusement. They do not care who gets in the way, or who is their family or friend. They are monsters. And they are always monsters. It does not matter whether they are transformed or not."

Teddy's bottom lip was trembling. "That's not true!" he said, outraged. His eyes, which had been staring unseeingly at the professor's desk, looked up and focused on the professor.

"Excuse me, Mr. Lupin?" Professor Carter said, putting particular emphasis on Teddy's surname. "I don't believe I gave you permission to speak."

"What you said about werewolves always being dangerous, those are all lies!" Teddy said loudly, standing up and blinking away the moisture in his eyes. "Do you believe that people attacked by werewolves are bad too?"

"Of course they are!" Professor Carter replied quickly. "They could be contaminated in ways unknown until they kill someone!"

"They can't control it!" Teddy said, his voice growing louder, but still trembling slightly. "Are you saying that my Uncle Bill, Victoire's dad, should be shunned away just because – because he likes his steak rarer than normal?"

"Werewolves are monsters!" Professor Carter yelled over Teddy. "And you would do well to remember that they are below us. They are not important and they _should_ be shunned away!"

Teddy snuck a glance at Victoire and was internally destroyed to see that she was crying, her face buried in her hands. He turned back to Professor Carter.

"_You_ are the monster," Teddy said his face growing hot. "You are the person who should be shunned away. My uncle couldn't control what happened to him. My dad couldn't! He was attacked when he was only five years old and it was all he could do to stay alive! But then he made friends and – and he had a family and he m-married my mum!"

Professor Carter was stunned, and Teddy, tears streaming down his face, turned away, heading towards the door. He left the classroom, not even bothering to grab his bag. The distraught boy proceeded to walk through corridor after corridor, his head down, not paying any attention to where he was walking. His thoughts were centered on his father and what that man– no – what that monster in there had said about him.

"My dad was a thousand times the man you are!" Teddy muttered to himself as he walked.

He also couldn't stop thinking about Victoire. He felt guilty about leaving her there in the class, but he hoped she'd understand. He thought about going back, but he couldn't.

Walking awkwardly, eyes blinded by tears, he didn't even notice where he was going, and he soon bumped into someone.

"Teddy?"

He looked up. "Oh, s-sorry, Professor McGonagall."

The Hogwarts Headmistress looked down at him with searching eyes, taking in his appearance and tear-stained face. Teddy stared at the floor as he heard his Headmistress let out a breath.

"Come," she said, putting her hand to his shoulder and giving him a little push.

"Where are we going, Professor?" Teddy asked quietly, sniffing and wiping his eyes with his sleeve.

"We're going to go to the kitchens to get you some pumpkin juice, and then you're going to tell me what happened," the headmistress said softly, her words kind.

After reaching the kitchens, Professor McGonagall got him a glass of pumpkin juice and a plate of freshly-baked biscuits.

Kreacher even brought them personally, worried over the godson of his master.

"Thanks, Kreacher," Teddy mumbled, wiping his nose on his robes and grabbing a biscuit.

"Of course, Master Teddy," Kreacher said kindly. "If you be needing anything else, just ask and you will have it," he said before withdrawing from Teddy and Professor McGonagall.

Professor McGonagall waited patiently as Teddy's heaving breaths subsided and his eyes dried. The biscuit plate was soon empty and Kreacher had arrived to fill Teddy's juice glass.

"Now, are you ready to tell me what happened?" the headmistress prompted.

Teddy swallowed. "Professor Carter, he – he was talking about – about werewolves," he said, his voice tempting to break again.

Professor McGonagall sighed. "And I take it that he was not conscious of the fact that you and Victoire were in his class."

"He knew, all right!" Teddy said hotly, looking at her. "When I spoke, he sneered and looked at me _and_ Victoire, daring us to say something."

"And did you?" Professor McGonagall asked knowingly.

Teddy nodded at her, looking down again as he fiddled with the empty plate beside him. "He was saying stuff about how – how werewolves are monsters and shouldn't be allowed to live and how they're below us. I mean," he continued quickly. "I know that some like Greyback was like that and attacked my dad and my Uncle Bill, but they aren't all bad! Harry said that my dad was completely fine as long as he took his potion. Even my Aunt Fleur and Grandmum don't hate werewolves because of what happened to Uncle Bill."

Professor McGonagall sighed again. "Some people aren't as forgiving as your family," she replied quietly.

"I – I want Harry," Teddy mumbled, so softly that Professor McGonagall missed it.

"What, Teddy?" she asked, leaning slightly closer to him.

"I want Harry," Teddy said louder. "Please?"

Professor McGonagall smiled. "Of course." She held out a hand. "Let's go to my office and I'll send him a Patronus."

Teddy grabbed her hand and stood up from the little table she had conjured for him. After saying goodbye to Kreacher and the other house-elves, Professor McGonagall and Teddy both left for her office.

As they passed by the classrooms, one door opened. It was the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom and students were now leaving. Teddy detached his hand from Professor McGonagall's and ran into the crowd, looking for Victoire. He didn't see her, though, and ran into the classroom. There she was, still sitting at her desk, Professor Carter looking at her expectantly.

"Well, Miss Weasley?" he prompted. "Don't you hate werewolves because of what they did to your father? Aren't you scared your father will turn into one?"

"Vicky!" Teddy said loudly, interrupting the professor as he ran to her. She was sobbing loudly and had her head on the desk, her hands pressed over her ears. Professor Carter looked up as Teddy entered the room, followed closely by Professor McGonagall.

"Professor Carter," she said, "am I to understand that you implied that werewolves are below wizards and witches in status? Did I just hear you ask Miss Weasley about whether or not she was scared of her own father?"

"He didn't just imply it!" Teddy interrupted as he hugged Victoire tightly.

"I want to know everything you told this class," Professor McGonagall ordered, "or else I will call the students back in here and they can tell me themselves."

Professor Carter looked livid. His eyes were glaring and his jaw was set tight.

"I merely told them the truth about werewolves," he said firmly. "That they are despicable creatures and should all be put down, lest they attack and continue to hurt innocent people."

"Professor, I know your sister was one of the victims of Greyback's attacks, but that is no reason to hold anger and hostility to _all_ werewolves," Professor McGonagall replied.

Teddy's eyes widened. He had had no idea that Professor Carter had had a sister, let alone one who had been killed by Greyback.

"Isn't it?" Professor Carter said. "They're all alike! Some of them just hide, waiting until it's their time to rise and attack everyone within their reach!"

Teddy couldn't take it anymore. He grabbed Victoire's hand and led her out of the classroom.

"C'mon, Vicky," Teddy said comfortingly. "Let's go wait for Professor McGonagall at her office."

Teddy and Victoire silently walked together, both their tears having dried up, hand-in-hand.

"I'm sorry I left you in there," Teddy said as they walked.

"It's okay, Teddy," Victoire replied with her charismatic smile, though a little watery. "I wanted to go with you, but . . . it was like I was frozen or something. I felt like I couldn't move."

"Still," Teddy began, "I should've grabbed your hand and taken you with me or something."

"Don't worry about it, Ted," Victoire remarked. "It's all okay now." She leaned her head on Teddy's shoulder as they approached the stone gargoyle marking the headmistress's office. Sitting down, Teddy and Victoire leaned up against the statue. They sat there silently, patiently waiting for Professor McGonagall, all the while internally raging about what Professor Carter had been saying about their fathers.

After a moment, Teddy spoke up. "Professor McGonagall said we could send a Patronus to Harry. Maybe you could ask her to contact your dad."

Victoire nodded slightly, her head still leaning on Teddy.

A few minutes later, Professor McGonagall came walking briskly towards them and the gargoyle.

"Snidget!" she snapped, and the gargoyle started to spin, revealing an old stone staircase.

"In!" she breathed, gesturing towards the staircase.

Teddy wondered for a moment why the professor was so angry and heated, but then he remembered the few words that he had heard her and Professor Carter exchange. When all three were in the office, Teddy turned to Professor McGonagall.

"What happened between you and Professor Carter?"

Professor McGonagall took a few deep breaths and looked down at him. "Nothing you need to worry about," she said. "Now let's call your godfather."

"Um, Professor McGonagall?" Victoire spoke up nervously.

"Yes, Victoire?"

"Could – could you maybe send a Patronus to my dad too?" she asked.

"Of course," Professor McGonagall replied. _"Expecto Patronum,"_ she muttered, sending a silver cat prancing about the room. "Harry, Teddy and Victoire are here in my office. They wish to speak to you, as do I," she said, and the cat leapt through a distant window, zooming away into the afternoon sun.

After sending another Patronus to Bill, Professor McGonagall turned to Teddy and Victoire again. "I'm sorry for what Professor Carter said to you. That was not right of him. Rest assured that he is no longer working here at Hogwarts."

Just as the headmistress finished speaking, there was a great whoosh of noise from the fireplace.

"Harry!" Teddy yelled as his godfather appeared.

"Uncle Harry!" Victoire yelled as well. They both ran forward, hugging Harry as he stepped out of the fireplace.

"Teddy! Vicky! What's happened?" he asked, hugging them back. They didn't answer, however, for a moment later, Bill appeared in the fireplace with another great whoosh.

"Daddy!" Victoire gasped happily, breaking away from Harry and running to her father. Bill scooped her up as she started to cry soft tears again.

"Teddy, what happened?" Harry asked again, kneeling and facing his godson. Teddy too, however, had teared up again at the sight of his godfather and uncle, both of which he knew loved him and had loved his father.

"Professor, what's going on?" Bill asked, moving to a chair while clutching Victoire beside him. Professor McGonagall proceeded to tell Harry and Bill all that had transpired over the day: what Professor Carter had said during the class, what Teddy had told her, and what she had talked about with the man herself.

By the end of her explanation, both Bill and Harry were fuming, looks of rage on their faces.

"Where is this Carter?" Harry said, hugging Teddy closer and pressing his face into the boy's hair. "How dare he say something like that? Especially in front of my Teddy!"

"I know you're angry, Harry, but I already suspended him. I told him that he was no longer fit to teach students, especially not in my school. There's nothing more to be done."

"I could give him a taste of his own medicine!" Harry said furiously. He looked as though he wanted to continue speaking, but he resisted at the look Professor McGonagall was sending his way.

Instead, he turned his attention back onto Teddy who had never let go of his godfather's neck.

"Teddy, look at me," Harry said gently.

Teddy released Harry and looked up at him, his gray hair matching his emotions.

"Listen to me, I don't want you to believe a single word that that man said to you, okay?"

Teddy nodded and shot a look over to Bill and Victoire, who it seemed were having roughly the same conversation.

"Nothing he said is true. Your father was an amazing man and friend and husband. He never hurt anyone. Your father was an amazing man. He was so scared that he _would_ hurt someone, that he tried to distance himself from the people who loved him. But he learned that we all loved him no matter what. I don't think that really clicked until the Marauders all came together and became Animagi. And even then, doubt still lingered with your dad. It wasn't until he was with your mum that everything really started to make sense to him.

"You're proof that werewolves can coexist with wizards. You're proof that we don't need to be constantly afraid of them," Harry said wisely.

"It's okay, Harry," Teddy said with a little smile, his hair turning slightly pink. "I'm proud to be the son of a werewolf. I always will be."

_xxxxx_


End file.
